hondeville



June 25, 1935. A. 1. HONDEVILLE TOWEL CABINET Filed Oct. 23, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR June 25, 1935. A. [,HONDEVILLE TOWEL CABINET 'Filed Oct. 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A.I.H012dev 0 BY ...2.m s1.x-

June 25, 1935. A, HONDEVILLE 2,005,744

TOWEL CABINET Filed Oct. 25, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR A.[.H011dULLZe Wh g QJ-fiil Patented June 25, 1935 2,005,744 TOWEL CABINET.

August I. Hondeville, Merced, Califl, assignor to g I 'Serv-A-Towel Manufacturing Company, Sanv Francisco, Calif.

Application October 23, 1933, Serial No. 694,749

19 Claims. (01'. era-37y I This invention relates to towel servidors for lavatories,of the character used by a number of people, such as in public buildings, employees or customers lavatories of large stores etc. The device is also of that character in which each user has an individual towel as distinguished fromthe servidors of the continuous'towel or roller type. l L

The inventioncontemplates the use of pads of towels non-separable from' each other andmounted against complete withdrawal from the containing cabinet as far as the user is concerned. In all such devices of this general character as have been previously used, as far as I am aware, no satisfactory and commercially economical means other than one manually operated, have been provided to dispose of and re move a used towelirom'sight.- P v v I have found from experience and observation however that the majority of people after using a towel do not take the trouble to operate such means to dispose of the used towel and it remains in sight and is exposed to the view of and for possible use'b-y a subsequent user, unless the lavatory attendant is constantly on duty to dispose of the towels as they are used. If, this isnot done the lavatory towel dispensing device constantly presents an unsanitary and untidy appearance.

It is therefore the principal object of my'invention to remove this deficiency by providing a servidor so constructed that after the user has manipulated the device to dispense a towel and has used the same, the release of the dis-- pensing means by such user will automatically withdraw the used towel from view. .The servidor thus always presents the desired sanitary and neat appearance without any efiort on the part of the user or an attendant; 1

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which not only the used towelsbut the fresh ones are normally concealed, so that there is no danger of the fresh towels becoming soiled from exposure nor can a used towel be employed more than once.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the, following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the servidor showihg the actuating pedal partly depressed and the cover partially opened to initially expose a towel for manipulation anduse. g

Fig. 2 is a: perspective view of a pair of towel pads as combined and mounted in the servidor but removed from the same. I T

Fig. 3' is a transverse section of the servidor showing th'e actuating means in its normal i'nop erative position.

4 is a; similar View showing the position of the parts when the actuating pedal is depressed. Fig. 5 is asectionalplan on the lined-5 of Fig. 6 isa fragmentary enlarged transverse'sec tion of the deviceshowing the control mechanism in its normal position. t

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional plan on the lineof Fig. 3- with the parts in their normal position. r 1 Fig. 8' is a fragmentary sectional plan on the line 88 of Fig. 6 showing the position of'the con trol members when the towel supportingunit is turned part-way from a normal position.

. Fig. 9*is a fragmentary transverse section show in'g-the tilted towel supporting unit as being 0w ered to its normal position before rotation, but after a towel been used. v

Fig. 10 is a similar view showingsaid unit'as I returned to a normal positionpor moved from the same.

Fig; 1 1 is a similar view showing the unit being initially tilted.

Fig. 1 2 isafisimilar view showing the unit-as released for rotation and about to; rotate. 1

Fig. 1-3 isa fanciful elevation of the doorcontrolling dashpot. 1

Referring now more particularly to the charac-, ters of reference on the drawings, the device comprises a rectangular'vertical cabinet I adapted to'rest on the floor and provided along theiront and top with an opening 2. This is normally closed by a-cover 3 of convexedly curved form, having depending ears l hinged onto the sides of the cabinet as at 5- so that said cover may swing-back and inside the cabinet to expose the towels which may then be drawn one'by one through the opening as will be later seen;

A pedal lever 6 is secured on a transverse shaft l mounted in the cabinet at the bottom,said lever being onone side of the cabinet and pivotally connected to a link 8 which is pivoted on one end of a substantially horizontal lever L which is pivf i oted intermediate its ends on the adjacent walls of the cabinet. The opposite end" of the lever is pivotally connected vto -the adjacent end of an upstanding pusher unit, the upper end of which before being is connected to the adjacent cover ear 4. This and connected to said lever and the cylinder C of a dashpot. The upper link 9a extends between and is connected to the cover ear and to the piston P of the dashpot which is slidable in the cylinder C. A tension spring S is connected to the ear and to, the cabinet and tendsto maintain the cover closed. "The cylinder is of course filled with oil and the bleed and relief passages in the piston are arranged so that the downward movement of the piston in the cylinder is retarded while its upward movement is relatively free.

When the cover is in its lowermost position and the pedal 6 is in its'normal position, the-piston is at the top of the cylinder, as indicated by the dotted outline in Fig. 3.

In operation a depression of the pedal 6 by the user causes the pusher unit to be raised without materially affecting the position of the piston in the cylinder, causing the cover 3 tobe moved to an open position against the, resistance of the spring S. As soon as thedepressing movement on the pedal is halted the spring immediately starts to pull the cover to a closed position, but the initial opening movement of the cover places the same some distanceback of the upper edge of the openings 2, as shown in Fig; 4. This gives the user ample time to, pull outthe towel he intendsto'use before the cjover has moved sufliciently towarda closed position to interfere with such grasping and pulling of the towel. .The' pedal is held depressed while the towel is being used as and for the reason set forth hereinafter, but in the meantime the cover is restored to its closed position by the action of the spring S; the oil from the cylinder below the piston moving slowly to above the piston through the relatively small bleed hole provided therein." By the time the cover is completely closed the piston occupies a position close to the bottom of the cylinder. Now when the pedal is released and allowed to resume its normal position, such movement of the pedal causes the cylinder C to be moved down relative to the piston. With such movement however the oil above the piston can freely travel through the same byreason of the large relief passage therethrough ,whichopens in a corre- V sponding direction. The parts are then restored to their original position, or in-other words with the piston at the top of the cylinder, ready for another cover opening movement by a subsequent user.

Mounted inside the cabinet l and projecting upwardly from the bottom in spaced relation to the walls of the cabirietis a rigid enclosing and mechanism supporting structure, indicated generally at H), and terminating some distance below the top of the cabinet. Hinged in and transversely of the enclosure adjacent its front side and intermediate the top and bottom is a vertical frame I I, serving as a support fora. turnable vertical shaft I2. The upper end of this shaft-above the frame supports and is fixed to, a horizontal rectangular plate l3 from adjacent the corners of which rods l4 project upwardly, said rods being outwardly hooked on their upper ends as shown. These rods serve as guides for a towel supporting follower plate l5 having an upwardly arched member I5 in the middle which extends crosswise of the cabinet. A compression spring l1 between the plates l3 and l5'acts to'force the latter upwardly. The rods 14 also serve as guides and locating means for opposed towel pads l8, the towels of each pad being permanently bound together along one edge. Each pad of towels has spaced holes I 9 adjacent said edge to slidably fit over the rods; the holes of one pad engaging the back pair of rods and the holes of the other pad engaging the front pair of rods. When the towel pads are assembled for mounting in the cabinet, the individual towels of the two pads are partly folded over on top and are disposed in alternately overlapping relation to each other as shown. The arch element l 6 causes the limp towels to assume a similar form which facilitates the withdrawal of the uppermost towel through the opening 2,

while the spring [1 causes the towels as a unit to be forced upwardly so that they abut against the hooked ends of the rods M, which ends of course limit theupward movement of the towels.

It will therefore beseen that when the pedal lever is depressed and the cover is swung back, the upper folded portion of the topmost towel of the stack is exposed for use, and is in position to beeasily pulled out by the user, who grasps the freeedge of theflfolded portion and pulls the same outwardly until such outward movement i'slimited by the bound edge of the towel which is of course that edge nearest the front wall ofthe cabinet. It will also be seen, owing tothe opposed alternatingarrangement of the setsof towels, that a pulling out of the topmost towel will not tend to pull out or disturb the next towel of the same set, since there is a towel therebetween which is'connected at its end opposite to the direction of pull. Also this pulling movement on the upper towel has no tendency to disturb or drag against the adjacent towel, since due to the foldedarrangement of the towels said upper towel is literally peeled from engagement with the under towel rather thanfbeing dragged over the same.

The depression of the pedal also serves another purpose, as will be now explained; Projecting rearwardly from the shaft 1 is an arm 20 from which a push rod 2| projects upwardly to a termination under the frame I lat a point opposite the hinge. When therefore the pedal is depressed the rod 2| engages the frame II and tilts the same forwardly causing the towels to be moved close to the cabinet opening where they are more accessible for manipulation by the user, as shown in Fig. 4. i

Turnable on the shaft 12 is a drum 22 about which is wrapped a cable 23. Fixed on the shaft adjacent the'drum is a ratchet wheel 24, the teeth' mounted on the drum. The cable 23 extends from the drum over direction changing pulleys 26 mounted in thestructure M. A link28 connects said arm with a short arm 29 projecting forwardly from the shaft 1. The other end of the cable is connected to one end of a tension spring 30, the other end of which is connected to said arm 21. When the pedal is depressed therefore the arm 21 is depressed also, pulling on the cable and rotating the drum 22.

At the same time the spring 3Q is placed under considerable tension both by reasonof the taking up of the corresponding end of the cable and by the depression of the arm to which said spring is connected. The parts are arranged so that with the full depression of the pedal the drum is r0- tated exactly one-half a turn, in a direction such a's'to cause the pawl 25 to move about the ratchet wheel without rotating the same.

Fixed on the shaft 12 toward its lower end is a diametral cross arm unit 3| having oppositely depending stop pins 32, yieldably pressed down by springs 33. One pin at a time. normally engages an upwardly projecting fixed stop 34 mounted on the structure I0 below the frame I I. Mounted on said frame I I immediately beyond the stop 34 in the direction of driving rotation of the'shaft I2, is another stop 35 positioned to; be engaged. by either pin 32 at a time immediately after the latter has passed by the stop 34. vertical alinement with the stop 34, as shown in Fig. 12. A spring pressed pawl arm 36 is mounted on the frame H and engages the pin 32 mengagement with either of said stops 34 or 35, as shown in Fig. '7, and prevents rotation of said shaft in other than the proper direction. When either pin is thus engaged with said stops the supporting structure of the towel pads will be in position so that the free edges of the towels are parallel to the cabinet opening 2.

In operation, as previously indicated, the intended user of a towel initially depresses the pedal 6 which exposes the opening 2, whereupon said user pulls on the topmost towel and draws the same through the opening. While he is thus using the towel the pedal must be held depressed. After the towel has been used it is allowed to hang down the front of the cabinet outside the opening, as shown in Fig. 4, and the user may then release the pedal. With the initial depressing of the pedal the frame II is raised, causing one of the stop pins 32 to be raised clear of the stop 34, so that the shaft 42 is free to rotate just sufiiciently to cause said stop 32 to engage the stop 35, as shown in Fig. 9.

When the pedal is released the frame II is lowered by the withdrawal of the rod 2| from under the same. The stop pin 32 being then immediately above the fixed stop 34, such lowering movement of the frame Ii causes said stop 32 to 'be pressed upwardly until it clears the stop 35,

as shown in Fig. 12. The spring 30 is then free to act to pull the drum 22 in the opposite direction from that in which it was rotated by the pull of the cable 23, causing the ratchet wheel 24 to' be driven and the shaft 12 and the towelsupporting structure mounted thereon, to be rotated through a half turn. This places the opposite pad of towels in position relative to the opening 2 so that the topmost towel thereon will then be in position to be pulled out with a subsequent opening of the cover 3. At the same time as soon as the towel supporting unit starts to rotate thepreviously used towel, which is hanging down on the outside of the cabinet, is drawn through a slot 31 cut in the side of the cabinet atione end of the opening 2 and in depending and communicating relation therewith, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Said used towel thus moves edgewise through the slot 31 and is returned to the interior of the cabinet;- there being ample space between the walls of the cabinet and the interior structure for said towels to hang down inside without interfering, I preferably use a plurality of towel pads each having a relatively small number of towels thereon, so that as all the towels of one pad are used up the complete pad will then move around the hooked ends .of the supporting rods l4 and drop of its own weight into the bottom of the cabinet. The next pad below is then of course moved up the necessary distance to take its place by reason of the action of the spring l1. In order to facilitate the mounting of thetowel pads in place by the attendant or service man, the top of the cabinet back of the cover 3 is preferably in the form of a separate hinged cover 38,

Said pin is then in by an unauthorized person by suitable means, as

shown at 39.

Since the cover 3 will probably move'to a close position in the manner previously set forth before the user has finished with the towel, said cover to leave sufficient room for the movement of the towel through the slot 3'l-without any binding of the towel by the closed cover being had.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objectsof the invention as set forth herein .While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

, l. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a horizontalopening in its front Wall for the withdrawal of a towel, a support in the cabinet for towels arranged in superposed stacked order, and in position relative to the opening so that the topmost one can be withdrawn through said opening, means mounting the support for rotation within the cabinet, means mounted for rotation with the support and engaging the edge of the towels nearest the opening to -prevent complete removal of the towels from the cabinet, and means to rotate the support after a towel has been withdrawn from the opening; there being a slot 1'".

for towels arranged in superposed stacked order, and in position relative to the opening so that the topmost one can be withdrawn through said opening, but normally spaced inwardly of the opening, means mounting the support for rotation within the cabinet, a forwardly tiltable frame supporting said mounting means, means mounted for rotation and tilting with the support for engaging the edge of the towels nearest the opening to prevent complete withdrawal of towels through the opening, releasable means to tilt the frame forwardly whereby to move the topmost towel close to the opening for withdrawal therethrough, and means controlled by and functioning with'the release of said last named means to rotate the support; there being a slot in the front wall of the cabinet depending from. the

leading end of the opening relative to the direction of rotation of the support to receive the towel edgewise with such rotation and when said towel is hanging from the opening on the outside of the cabinet.

3. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a horizontal opening in its front wall for the withdrawal of a towel, a support in the cabinet for towels arranged in superposed stacked order, and in position relative to the opening, so that the topmost one can be withdrawn through said opening, means mounting the support for rotation within the cabinet, means mounted for rota- .which is normally locked against being opened I .never completelycloses the opening 2, in order the front wall of the cabinet depending from the the, towels nearest the opening to prevent complete removal of the towels from the cabinet, means normally covering the opening, manually operable means includinga depressible pedal to uncover the opening for the withdrawal of a towel, and functioning upon the depression of the pedal, and means functioning with the retractive movement of the pedal for rotating the support in one direction; there being a slot in the front wall of the cabinet depending from the leading end of the opening relative to the direction of rotation of the support to receive the towel edgewise with such rotation and when said towel is hanging from the opening on the outside of the cabinet.

4. A towel servidor including a cabinet having a horizontal front-wall towel dispensing opening, said wall having a depending slot at one end of and communicating with the opening, a rotatable support for a stack of towels mounted within the cabinet, means associated with the support and rotatable therewith to engage the towels at their edge nearest the opening to prevent complete withdrawal of a towel through the opening, and means to rotate the support in the direction of said slot whereby after a towel has been withdrawn through the opening and is hanging.

down on the outside of the cabinet, it will pass edgewise through the slot and back into the cabinet with the rotation of the support.

port to engage alternate towels of the stack on their opposite edges, said edges being those parallel to the opening whereby a towel uppermost on the stack and whose engaged edge is that nearest the opening may be pulled out through the opening, and manually controlledmeans to rotate the support through a half revolution at a time.

6. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a horizontal towel dispensing opening in its front wall, a rotatable support for a stack of towels disposed within the cabinet, in position accessible to the opening, means associated with the support to engage alternate towels of the stack on their opposite edges, said edges beingthose'parallel to the opening whereby a towel uppermost on the stack and whose engaged edge is. that nearest the opening maybe pulled out through the opening, means normally closing the opening, manual means movable from a predetermined position for opening said closing means, and

means controlled by the return of said manual means to said position. for rotating the support a half turn.

'7. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a horizontal towel dispensing opening in its front wall, a vertical frame hinged along its front lower edge in the cabinet forforward tilting movement,

a vertical shaft turnably mounted in and projecting upwardly from said frame, a support for a stack of towels mounted in connection with said shaft for rotationtherewith, said towels when the frame is tilted forwardly being accessible to the opening for withdrawal, a depressible pedal, means between the pedal and frame to tilt the letter when the pedal is depressed, and means between the pedal and shaft and'functioning to rotate the shaft a predetermined amount only with the retractive movement of the pedal.

8. A towelservidor comprising a cabinet hav- .inga horizontal towel dispensing opening in its front'wall', a vertical shaft rotatably, mounted in the cabinet, a support for a stack of towels mounted in connection and turnable with the shaft, said towels being on a level with the open' ing, a manually operable lever, a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft, a drum turnable onthe shaft and having a pawl to engage the wheel, means functioning with the movement of the lever in one direction to rotate the drum a predetermined amount in a direction such that the pawl will not .rotatingly engage the wheel, and a spring placed mounted in connection and turnable with the shaft, said towels being on a level with the opening, a manually operable lever, a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft, a drum turnable on the shaft and having a pawl to engage the wheel, apivoted arm connected to the lever to be swung through a certain arc with the movement of the lever in one direction, a cable wrapped about and secured to the drum, one end of the cable being secured to the arm, and a tension spring between andconnecting the other end of the cable to said arm.

11. A structure as in claim 7, with a fixed vertical stop in the cabinet, a fixed stop on the frame immediately beyond said first named stop in the direction of rotation of the shaft, and a stop movable parallel to the shaft and mounted in connection therewith for successive engagement with said fixed stops.

12. A towel servidor including a cabinet having a towel dispensing openingin one wall, a supporting plate for a stack of towels disposed within the cabinet, vertical rods disposed in a plane parallel to and spaced from said wall on which the plateis guided, means urging the plate upwardly, said rods passing slidablythrough the towels adjacent one edge thereof and being formed with outwardly and downwardly bent hook portions on their upper ends, I

13. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a towel dispensing opening, a movable cover normally closing the opening, towel supporting means in the cabinet, a depressible pedal, means betweenthe pedal and cover to open the latter, by a depressing of the pedal to expose a towel for manipulation by the user, spring means tending to close the cover, and means included with said cover opening means to allow the spring action to slowly close the cover while-the pedal is maintained depressed. I

14. A towel servidor comprising a'cabinethaving a towel dispensing opening, a movable cover front wall, a rotatable and forwardly tiltable support for a stack of towels disposed within the cabinet, in position accessible to the opening, means associated with the support to engage alternate towels of the stack on their opposite edges, said edges being those parallel to the opening, releasable means to tilt the support forwardly whereby the topmost towel will be moved adjacent the front wall of the cabinet so that said towel may be pulled through the opening, and means acting on the support and functioning with the release of said first named means to rotate the support through a half revolution.

16. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a towel dispensing opening, a towel support rotatably mounted in the cabinet, means on the support to hold a stack of towels in opposed relation so that the top towel may be withdrawn through the opening when the support is in one position and the next towel when the support is rotated a half turn, means to rotate the support a half turn at a time, and means whereby with such rotation a used towel projecting through the opening and hanging down the outside of the cabinet will be completely returned to the interrior of the cabinet.

17. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet having a towel dispensing opening, a normally closed cover for the opening, a towel support rotatably hold a stack of towels in opposed relation and so that the top towel may be withdrawn through the opening when the support is in one position and the next towel when the support is rotated a half turn from such position, a depressible pedal, means between the pedal and cover to open the latter with the depression of the pedal, and means between the pedal and the support to rotate the latter with the retractive movement of the pedal when released from the foot pressure.

18. A structure as in claim 17, with means incorporated in part with the cover opening means to cause the cover to move to a closed position while the pedal is held depressed.

19. A towel servidor comprising a cabinet havmounted in the cabinet, means on the support to ing a towel dispensing opening, a normally closed cover for the opening, a towel support in the cabinet movable between two positions, means on the support tohold a stack of towels insuch relation to each other that successive towels can only be withdrawn through the opening when the support is moved from'one position to the other, means to open the cover, means to thus move the support, and manual means to operate the cover opening means and the support moving means in successive order. I

AUGUST I. HONDEVILLE. 

